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Panting and groaning are a way for woman to manage pain of childbirth.

“Isaiah gives us this groaning woman as a picture of the sovereign God, the God who is in control of redemption: God chooses to participate in the work of new creation by bellowing and panting. God chooses a participation that does not fight the pain, but that works from inside the pain.” (p. 140)

Music and labor

Music has been proven to be a soothing part of labor.

Many labor plans include the playing of music to help sooth the pain.

Singing hymns in church - is providing the music for God in labor.

Preaching Thoughts“The image of God as a laboring woman puts together strength and vulnerability in a way that tells us something about God and how God works. The point is not just that God is vulnerable… the point is that in the struggles of labor, we can learn what strength is.” (p. 151).

Still in Deutero-Isaiah, when people are longing to know that God is present in their life.

God is so near, God is like a nursing mother.

Intimacy that is beyond physical

Child only lives because of Mother

Reminder of our radical dependence upon God.

A more popular metaphor in history, needs to be rediscovered

“The metaphor of nursing captured how Jesus sustains the church with grace and love” (p. 166).

According to historian Caroline Walker Bynum, “What writers in the high Middle Ages wished to say about Christ the savior who feeds the individual soul with his blood was precisely and concisely said in the image of the nursing mother.’ The Holy Spirit was described as being ‘sent from heaven like milk poured out of Christ’s own breasts,’ and prayerful Christians gazing at the crucifix in church were urged to realize that Jesus’ ‘naked breasts will feed you with the milk of sweetness to console you.’” (p. 166, Winner quoting Walker Bynum).

Preaching Thought:

Is there anything more full of power, vulnerability, and love than a woman nursing a baby? “Like the power of the nursing mother, the power of divinity is the power to comfort” (Winner quoting Elizabeth Gandolfo, p. 167).

Care must be given to note that laboring woman is not the only way that God should be seen as feminine. Too much of Christian thought has reduced women to their wombs and breasts, as if their only worth lie in what [boys] they could give birth to. Lifting up the metaphor of God as birthing woman does not have to mean that women without children are somehow missing their divine calling. This is a careful line to tread. It is important to lift up the power and divinity of femininity. Tearing down those without children is not the goal.

Shout Outs:
Comment:Andy Shaefer: “You know, there's nothing to conclusively indicate that "the crowd" knew that any miracles had occurred. It seems only Andrew and, by assumption, the other 11 apostles knew just how much food they had started with. Could it not be possible, improbable perhaps, but possible that the seated crowd, caught up in the fun and excitement, enjoying a day out and reconnecting with friends and family they meet in the crowd, simply didn't think about where all this food was coming from? And John says "his disciples" got into "a boat," singular. One boat. Given the usual size of the kind of boat they would use, it is a logical conclusion that here "disciples" refers to "The Twelve." Thus, only Jesus' inner circle were privy to the walking on water. The Crowd seems a little muddled over when Jesus had arrived and just how they had gotten there, but Jesus seems to go straight to larger matters before they can learn of his night time aquatic constitutional.

Which begs the question, "just how many miracles do we miss?"”

Andy also asks, What is the title and author of the book which proposes the gospel of John as a Greek comedy?
A couple of articles we found:

Susan asks, “I love Pulpit Fiction. I do. I listen to the next Sunday's podcast on Sunday after church. I'm sold. But... is it me, or did this week's 2 Samuel discussion go on forever? Yikes, what's up with that? Again, I do love this podcast. Seriously, thanks for all you do.”